


Life's like a box of chocolates and I picked the sweetest one

by robopou



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Body Image, Discord Friendship, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, M/M, Online Friendship, Other, Reader lives in France
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28768269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robopou/pseuds/robopou
Summary: Tendou meets (y/n) after stumbling upon her Tumblr anime blog.Although cautious (y/n) didn’t really know what would await her when she added that stranger on Discord, the transition into a friendship happened smoothly.
Relationships: Tendou Satori & Reader, Tendou Satori/Reader
Comments: 16
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (y/n) - your name  
> (e/c) - eye color
> 
> underlined text is for the reader

You happened to meet Tendou Satori on Tumblr when you were 18, both of you were in your last year of high school. 

At first the two of you just followed each because you happened to enjoy the same anime. 

After interacting with each other's posts on the regular you eventually received a message from him in your inbox. 

"Are you Canadian?" 

"I've never been to Canada, I'm living in Europe." You were unsure to what extent you should disclose your information to a stranger on the internet, so you decided to omit the fact that you lived in France. "What about you?" 

Asking him couldn't hurt, right? 

"Impossible! You post so much about American issues but then reblog French stuff! I'm from Japan by the way." 

"Yeah, Tumblr is pretty americentric but maybe I just grew up learning French? Who knows?" Shit, that was a close call. 

"Americans never rubbed me as the type of people that bothered to learn another language, I thought you were from Québec. My second guess would have been France." 

You gulped. "I have always wanted to visit Japan," you deflected.

"Japan's cool but I want to travel the world! Have you ever been abroad??? Obviously, you're European. Where have you been?" 

"Cologne, London, Brussels, Zurich. You?" 

"I've been to NYC with my parents in middle school three years ago. I didn't expect the streets to smell of piss and the subway ride was shit!" 

"You just described Paris," you typed laughing. "Both cities are heavily romanticized." 

"Why didn't you mention that you have been to Paris? I love Paris!!!" 

Shit, you obviously didn't want to talk about Paris but the description of New York City was just asking for a comparison. "Let's just say, Paris has its dark sides as well." 

"I knew you were from France! Let me be right!!!" 

"Have you ever been to Tokyo?" 

"Obviously! Now tell me if I am right!"

You sighed, hoping that you wouldn't end up being on the News because you decided to be reckless with a stranger. "You win." 

"That's right, the Guess Monster strikes again! I'm from Sendai by the way, it's about five hours away from Tokyo." 

"Miyagi Prefecture, right?" 

"Ding, Ding, Ding! Correct! I already know you're Parisian." 

"How come?" 

"You've been to London, Zurich, Brussels and Cologne. Most people that travel to Germany prefer Bavaria or Berlin, so I concluded you didn't want to travel hours upon hours lol." 

"You're scaring me." 

"That's my charm." 

You rolled your eyes but couldn't suppress a little grin. 

"Would you like to add me on Discord? I have nobody to talk to when it comes to Anime and Manga."

You were unsure but you could need a friend right now. You weren't exactly popular. You exhaled deeply before sending him your Discord tag. 

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ✦: *.🍫 .* :✦ﾟ. ───✧

Fast forward to a few months later, you were now texting each other over Discord on a daily basis and you considered him one of your closest friends. He always texted back fast and reading his messages put a smile on your face. However, it was weird that the two of you had never been on voice chat nor did you ever exchange pictures. Maybe he had seen that selfie that you posted on Tumblr ages ago but maybe he hadn't. 

It was better that way. 

Appearances tended to ruin things and you were somewhat relieved that you simply enjoyed each other's personalities. 

Come to think, you didn't know a lot about his appearance other than the fact that he had crimson hair and was fit due to him being a volleyball player. 

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ✦: *.🍫 .* :✦ﾟ. ───✧

(2:02) people literally pee in the streets  
(2:02) like everywhere  
(2:03) seeing people romanticize Paris is just  
(2:03) nevermind  
(2:04) how was your day? 

(2:15) i had a midterm

(2:16) yikes.   
(2:17) how did it go?

(2:17) it was shit  
(2:17) have you watched the new episode of jujutsu kaisen  
(2:18) ???  
(2:19) have you? 

(2:20) you'll do better next time!   
(2:20) noo jk hasn't been translated yet  
(2:20) don't u dare spoiler me 

(2:21) just learn japanese  
(2:21) !!!

(2:22) just because you're learning French doesn't mean   
(2:22) that I will have an easy time learning Japanese 

(2:22) you have to leave your comfort zone (y/n) !!!  
(2:22) and bold of you to assume i'd spoiler you  
(2:23) when have i ever??? 

(2:23) you spoilered your name  
(2:24) the best movie seriously

(2:25) THAT DOESN'T COUNT  
(2:25) YOU SHOULD HAVE WATCHED IT ASAP 

(2:26) of course it does! I was mad as fuck!!  
(2:27) also i had nobody to go to the movies with :/

(2:28) me neither but i went anyway lol 

(2:29) I would have went with you 

(2:30) :) 

(2:31) I would kill you without batting an eye if you spoilered me mid-movie though 

(2:32) you're feral 

(2:32) lmao says the same fella that scares people for a living

(2:33) they had it coming  
(2:34) that was meant as a compliment by the way  
(2:35) I like feral

(2:36) It's cool I wasn't offended

(2:37) do you want to watch the new episode of jujutsu kaisen with me?

(2:38) didn't you already watch it? and how?

(2:38) I would like to hear your reaction to it though, the episode was crazy  
(2:38) we'll watch it simultaneously while on voice chat, hell, we can even play something together if that's what you want  
(2:39) we're on discord after all!!

 _Was he being serious?_ What if he ended up hating your voice or made fun of your accent? And why did he want to hear your voice all of a sudden? You started typing before hesitating, stopping often.

(2:40) (y/n) ???  
(2:41) u good??

_You sighed, it was worth a shot._

(2:42) sure, why not?


	2. Chapter 2

(2:43) YAY  
(2:44) why did i think you were going to say no  
(2:47) (y/n) ?  
(2:47) are you okay? 

(2:54) yes, sorry   
(2:55) it must be terribly later over there, right? 

(2:55) You don't want to talk to me, do you? 

You sigh, he realized.  
Sometimes you felt as if he could watch you through your screen, he never missed with his deductions. 

On top of that, you don't fail to notice that this time Tendou uses proper punctuation.   
It feels so serious and you feel a pang of anxiety eclipsing your thoughts. 

(3:00) I'm sorry.   
(3:01) It has nothing to do with you.   
(3:02) I've been feeling a little uneasy lately and texting feels easier than speaking. I don't want to say anything wrong. 

(3:04) You know you can always tell me if something is bothering you, right?  
(3:05) I know I tend to go overboard with my jokes but  
(3:06) I don't mean any harm. 

(3:07) This means a lot to me, I really appreciate it   
(3:08) but you really said nothing in particular.    
(3:09) just my stupid old anxiety as always 

(3:09) For real? 

(3:10) Absolutely. 

(3:10) 100%   
(3:10) ? 

(3:11) 100% !! 

(3:11) i need a 120% certainty though 🙄 

(3:12) you take what you can get!! 

(3:12) no, i'll fight for it 😜 

(3:13) 🥲 

(3:14) (y/n), can I ask you a question? 

(3:14) don't make it sound so serious  
(3:14) just be up-front 

(3:15) earlier, when you said I liked to scare people for a living  
(3:15) do I really come across like that? 

(3:16) I mean   
(3:16) you said you love teasing the first years?   
(3:17) and that getting a reaction out of them was funny   
(3:17) idk 

(3:18) okay  
(3:18) am I a bad person? 

(3:19) now that's a deep question   
(3:19) but not that I think so.    
(3:20) maybe you shouldn't push other people's boundaries that much.   
(3:20) but I'm not one to judge. 

(3:20) just be honest 

(3:21) I think we should all be a bit nicer to people   
(3:21) but what i can tell you is that i enjoy talking to you   
(3:21) I really like it when I get a discord notification and I wonder what random thought of yours awaits me this time   
(3:22) i like being your friend 

(3:26) I need a dentist appointment asap because youre too sweet 

(3:27) and I need to see a chiropractor because my back hurts

(3:27) 👀 

(3:28) from carrying this conversation 😩💢 

(3:28) i can crack your back for you if that's what you need 😏 

(3:29) 🤨   
(3:29) shut up 

(3:30) naughty, naughty  
(3:30) that's not what I was implying 🙄 

(3:31) just shut up, will you? 

(3:31) make me 😏 

(3:31) see, you're doing it again 

(3:32) got a problem with that? 🤪 

(3:33) no, I'm used to your unpredictability   
(3:33) it makes you special

(3:34) i'm glad I asked you for your discord that day, (y/n)  
(3:35) i like that i can be myself around you 

(3:34) you know I would never judge you

(3:35) I know and that's why it means so much to me  
(3:35) i'm glad I asked you for your discord that day  
(3:36) i'm grateful that you're part of my life, (y/n)

(3:37) I can say the same about you   


(3:38) ☺ 

As you feel your face grow warm, you stare at the screen for a while, smiling to yourself. You consider Tendou one of your best friends and apparently, so does he. The nameless dread that filled you earlier seemed to dissolve and you feel your confidence return to you. 

A call wouldn't hurt, right?

(3:40) about that episode we wanted to watch together   
(3:40) are you still interested? 

(3:41) 😭😭😭  
(3:41) very bad timing!!!!!   
(3:42) wakatoshi just headed to sleep, so I can't use my computer in here  
(3:43) but if I sneak out, we can talk on the phone normally  
(3:44) without the anime   
(3:45) would that be okay with you? 

(3:46) don't get into trouble because of me!! 

(3:47) too late   
(3:48) i'm already in the hallways lol 

You roll your eyes, grinning before your heart skips a beat. 

**NinTendou**   
**Incoming Call...**

Your thumb approaches the accept button shakily, you join the call. 

_Silence._

"Hello?" you speak hesitantly, glad that he can't see your worried expression. 

_"Hello?"_ a shrill voice imitates your nervous greeting before snickering and you want to slap some confidence in yourself. He must think you're stupid now.

"What's so funny?" you ask dryly, rolling your eyes. 

"Aww," he brings a halt to his laughter and although it is lined with a layer of sarcasm, his voice deepens, "Did I make someone mad?" 

"Not at all," your voice evened out, "You know I can take a joke." 

"Too bad, I would have loved to hear you bicker with that little French accent of yours." 

"French accent?" you question, walking over to your bed. "Normally, people can't tell I'm not a native English speaker." 

"Just a hint. I can clock a French accent from a mile. Or 6000 miles," he chuckled. "It's cute." 

"Your Japanese accent is cute as well," you interrupted his laughter and you could tell it hit a nerve. 

"What do you mean by Japanese accent? I don't have one." 

"It's barely audible," you giggled, plopping down on your bed. 

"I know you're trying to get back at me for making fun of your _hello_." 

"Not so confident now, Tendou?" 

"My confidence is unbreakable," he huffed before raising his tone quizzically. "Did you just call me Tendou?" 

"Oh, was that inappropriate? Should I call you Tendou-san, instead?" 

"First of all, we are friends. Second of all, cringe. We're speaking English for a reason." 

"Just Satori then?" 

"Mhm," he hummed before chuckling, his voice deepening again. "You can always call me Monsieur Tendou though." 

"You know that's just as cringeworthy as me calling you Tendou-san, right?" 

"Don't ruin French for me," he scolds, and you are sure his expression must be anything but smug. 

"The language is really overrated. Once you get used to it, it will lose its magic. Come to speak of the people," you laugh sinisterly.   
"You know us Parisians are known to be some of the rudest people in Europe." 

"You really suck," Tendou groans, dragging out his words. 

"You just confirmed my claim," you giggled, part of you wishing to see his defeated expression. "You know, Paris is diverse and it's not all Champs-Élysées, la tour Eiffel, le huitiéme arrondissement."

For a moment, it's quiet and you ask yourself if you said something wrong as the only thing you can hear on the other side of the call is faint breathing. 

"Damn," Satori breaks the silence and you wonder whether you went overboard again with your Paris-slander. 

"I really hit a nerve didn't I?" 

"Nah, it's just," he starts, letting out a little huff, before continuing awkwardly, "You sound kinda sexy when you speak French." 

Out of all the things he could have replied with, he chose to say that.

You're a bit taken aback because you didn't expect him to grow so fond of your voice and you decide not to match his energy. "Guess, I will never speak French around you then." 

"You really piss me off!" he whines before suddenly gasping, "Shit, I think I woke our dorm supervisor up!" 

You hear some scrambling and the faint noise of a door clicking shut before the call ends. 

(4:03) are you okay? 

(4:04) i have to stay quiet now   
(4:04) we'll continue talking tomorrow evening  
(4:04) good night, (y/n) ☺☺☺

(4:04) Good night, Satori.


	3. Chapter 3

It was 11PM on a Thursday afternoon, you were lying down on your side, watching one TikTok after the other, puffing air out of your nose every once in a while. When your phone was finally at a hundred percent, you unplugged the charger, rolling over to your right side. You jumped a little when your phone started ringing unexpectedly. 

It was none other than Tendou - Satori, mind you. 

"Good evenin', (y/n)," Satori cooed, sloppily dragging out your name after you picked up. 

"Good morning," you replied, before asking, "Is everything alright?" 

"Yup, just checking up on you. Can't I give my friends a call?" 

"Of course you can," with slight irritation you smiled at the sarcasm in his tone. "It was just unexpected, that's all." 

"So?" Satori mused, and you were sure he must have had a grin plastered on his face judging by the cheerfulness his voice carried. 

"So, what?" You inquired, rolling over onto your back, plopping your head down into your pillow. 

"What are you doing? More importantly, how are you doing?" 

"I'm fine, simply scrolling through TikTok, the usual. What about you?" 

"I wanted to do the same until I thought of something more productive." 

"That would be?" 

"Starting my day by talking to you," he cheered and you had to suppress a chuckle at that ridiculous statement, urging you to roll your eyes. 

You had a slight suspicion that Satori was being extra nice due to the conversation you had earlier that day. Although you appreciated his concern, you didn't expect him to censor himself to make himself more palatable. You were sure you were able to stand up for yourself if your conversation got out of hand and right now you weren't afraid of anything. 

"You're being a little cheesy there, aren't you?" 

"What about it? I am just stating the truth. Although it would have sweetened my morning if you had greeted me with a 'bonjour' instead," he chuckled and it made you remember that he mentioned your voice being sexy when you spoke French. 

Although the French he was referring to were just mentions of a few Parisian sights. He seemed easily satisfied. 

"Nah," you laughed, withholding him that pleasure. 

"You really don't like me, do you?" he chuckled playfully, "Don't leave me hanging. Come on, (y/n)." 

"No." 

"Pretty, please?" 

"Non," you grinned, knowing he was going to beg for more. 

"That doesn't count, you know that." 

"You can't always get what you want." 

"Trust me, I know," he sighed, before quickly returning to his sing-song voice. "What are your plans for tomorrow?" 

"Wait, what was that?" you inquired, perking up. Something felt off. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"You sounded sad, tell me." 

"It's nothing, honestly. When are you going to bed?" 

"You're not sending me to bed before telling me what's up. 

Be honest with me, Satori." 

"I don't want to plague you with my problems before you go to sleep. Don't worry about me, (y/n)." 

"You're not plaguing me by not telling me. I could be lying in bed, racking my brain over this instead." Although Satori and you were always texting, he was a fast texter as well, he tended not to bring his personal problems up. Simultaneously, he tended to curiously bombard you with dozens of questions at once. It wasn't fair.

"Please, Satori." 

"You really shouldn't bother, (y/n). I'm sure you have all the stress with your final exams, already." 

"I have some time left, the first one is at the end of April," you stated, knowing that you spent the entire day scrolling though TikTok and switched through the same three apps.

"Since when do you care that much about academics?" 

"I can still care about yours, can't I?" Satori said in his defense before hesitating a little, his tone shifting to a thoughtful one. "After all, I care about you." 

You were taken aback but you felt some relief when you remembered he wasn't able to see your flustered expression right now. You took a few moments to inhale and gather the correct words to reply to him. 

"I care about you, too, Satori. That's why I want you to tell me if something is bothering," you began, inhaling deeply again.

"Don't bottle up your emotions. I may not shoo your sorrows away, but talking about them is important, Satori." 

It was silent on the other end for a while and you mentally repeated what you had said to him to figure out if you worded something wrong. 

Your thoughts were soon eclipsed by a lazy chuckle on the other end. 

"Trust me, you do." 

"Do what?" 

"Shoo my troubles away," he chuckled again before adding, "I always forget everything that bothers me when I am talking to you." 

You felt a smile creep onto your face when you realized the depth of his words. Satori basically admitted to you that you were his safe space and compared to his usual way of brushing things under the rug, that was a huge step. 

"We can talk about it after you get some sleep." 

"Really?" 

"I promise. Good night, (y/n)." 

"À demain, Satori!" 

You ended the call, hoping he wouldn't go to town on that snippet of French you threw at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, due to personal problems I wasn't able to update.
> 
> However I realized that I am able to update shorter chapters and it takes a heavy weight off of my chest as it reduces stress and I guess that's valid. 
> 
> Who needs excruciatingly long chapters if I am just not in the flow?
> 
> Quality over quantity...
> 
> I hope my characterization of Tendou isn't too OOC, I think this will have like seven chapters in total.
> 
> We will see.
> 
> TikTok: Zannyfer  
> IG: Zannyferr

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: robopou  
> TikTok/Instagram: nuruto.art


End file.
